The Artist Behind The Etsy ~ Okio B Designs

Being a part of the Etsy community, not only as a seller but as a customer, I have come across many talented individuals.  With this new series, I hope to introduce you to some of these creative people, finding out where they find their creativity, and a little bit more about them.

To start the series off, I asked my sister, Jeanine, from Okio B Designs {both her blog and Etsy name}, to share some of the creative inspiration behind her Etsy shop.

Thanks, Kathy, for picking me to be your first Artist Behind the Etsy!  For those of you who don't know, Kathy is my sister and I run my own blog OkioBDesigns.Blogspot.com and Etsy shop: OkioBDesigns.Etsy.com.  I'm a wife, mother of two boys ages 8 and 6, and I run a small business during the day in addition to my Etsy shop and blog.

I started my Etsy shop back in 2009.  I originally started crafting about 20 years ago.  I made earrings that I displayed in pretty decoupaged boxes.  My Dad and I did several craft fairs together - he with his handmade birdhouses and me with my earrings and boxes.  I relished that time together!  However, once my parents moved from New York to Maryland, I shelved my crafting for almost 10 years.

I discovered Etsy through the blogging community and opened my shop with what else: earrings and decoupaged boxes.  I also made coffee-baked holiday tags that didn't go over so well.  I still cringe when I think about how amateurish they were.  I'm not sure when exactly I moved onto country chic and French-inspired pieces, but I do credit Romantic Homes magazine with my transition.  For years, I flipped through the pages and admired the shabby chic decor and romantic French touches.  I thought to myself: I can do that.  So I did.

I've had quite a few hits and misses along the way, but I still get excited when someone purchases one of my handmade items.  I typically keep the oopsies and use them to decorate my house.  I continue to draw inspiration from Romantic Homes, but I'm also inspired by everything from a Pottery Barn catalog to a small, local boutique.

My Etsy shop gives me the creative outlet I need that my day job sometimes lacks.  Sure it can get hectic juggling a family, full time job and shop, but I wouldn't change it for anything.  As if I wasn't busy enough, I just opened a second shop: OkioBVintage.Etsy.com, where I sell my vintage finds.

My advice to anyone looking to start an Etsy shop: be patient and most importantly: have fun!

Jeanine

Thank you, Jeanine!  You can visit Jeanine’s Etsy shop here and her blog here.